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Explosive Types
Low Explosives - progress of the reaction
front through the explosive chemical
mixture is slower than the speed of sound
Example - Black Powder
Blasting Agents
Popular explosive formulation today
Made of combinations of chemicals that are
themselves not explosive
Advantage in transportation
Taking high explosives over public highways is
a major permitting issue
May provide for storage of non-explosives
(explosives require special powder magazines)
Formulation of an Explosive
Combination of a Fuel and an Oxidizer
Fuel that is prone to fast reaction and
usually produces large number of fumes and
a high energy yield
Oxidizer provides for fuel to burn without
kinetic limitations of atmospheric exchange
Can blast under water
Elements of an Explosive
Detonation
Initiation energy
Oxidizer
most high explosives build it in
Classic Initiation
Black Powder Column functions as a delay.
Variable powder column lengths allow one
pulse of electricity to cause caps to go off at
different pre-designed times
At base of powder column is a heat sensitive
high explosive charge called a base charge
When the black powder column burns down
the cap explodes
Blowing Things Up
The primer sits in a column of blasting
agent
Shock from 5 lbs of TNT is enough to
initiate the blasting agent
Main explosive charge goes off shattering
the rock mass (and any stupid sucker
standing in the blast area)
Initiation Alternatives
Problem of electric blasting caps is electrical surge
initiates
Lighting strike can cause full detonation with people in
area
large loops of wire act as antennas and can induce current
from radio waves
(Remember radio silence requirements around building
demolition sites)
Detonating Chord
Cap is not eliminated but one person hooks up
at the edge of the shot area after the shot is
wired - greatly reduced vulnerability
Produces a surface high explosive blast deafening sound - disturbs neighbors
Can bury the chord but still noisy and could break
connection
Non- El
Hollow plastic tube with an explosive
coating inside
Can build delay elements into circuit
Similar to det chord but slower reaction
Limited explosive reduces noise
Still initiate with a single cap